WHITE CASTLE, La--- Fran Thibodeaux, executive director of the Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Sandra Davis, owner of the KONRIKO«/Conrad Rice Mill, were installed respectively as past chairman and member of the Louisiana Travel Promotion Association (LTPA) Board of Directors at the association's annual meeting on Friday, June 28 at Nottoway Plantation Resort.

"I am honored to be serving LTPA and the more than 800 members the association represents across the state," Davis said.

"This organization has been serving members of Louisiana's tourism industry for fifty years now and I look forward to working with my fellow board members to keep the momentum going," Thibodeaux said.

New officers installed on the executive board committee include the following: Marion Fox, with the Jeff Davis Parish Tourist Commission, as chairman; Renee Areng, with Visit Baton Rouge, as vice-chairman; Linda Curtis-Sparks, with the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission, as secretary; and Phil Frost, with the Baton Rouge Zoo, as treasurer.

New members on the board of directors are Stacy Brown with the Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau, Travis Napper with the Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau, James Ramsaur, with Lincoln Parish Park, Mark Romig with the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation, Alice Scarborough with Kent Plantation House, Tico Soto with the Lake Charles-Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau, Lynette Tanner with Frogmore Plantation and Gins, Denise Thevenot with Louisiana Tax Free Shopping and Gary Ellis with Compass Media.

"Our executive committee and board of directors are responsible for helping us meet the needs of our members and making sure that we accomplish our goals of providing educational and marketing opportunities while also advocating on the industry's behalf," said Darienne Mobley, co-executive director, LTPA. "We are excited to be starting off another year with such a great group of industry leaders that represent the entire state."

Officers on the executive committee and members of the board of directors are elected during the annual meeting. Each year, the chairman of the board selects a nominating committee that is comprised of members who are not up for re-election and who are not seeking office. This committee is responsible for presenting a slate to the members of the association that recognizes all regions of the state and all segments of the tourism industry.

About Louisiana Travel Promotion Association (LTPA) LTPA is a private, nonprofit, membership trade association with more than 800 members statewide. It strengthens the private sector of Louisiana's tourism economy and provides marketing and educational opportunities to its members, while it serves as the advocate, resource and voice for the tourism industry.

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The Iberia Parish Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official parish marketing agency promoting New Iberia, Avery Island, Jefferson Island, Jeanerette, Loreauville and Delcambre as a destination. Marketing programs target leisure travelers, business travelers, media, entertainment industry, and the travel trade including group tour planners, meeting planners, sports planners and special event planners. The bureau operates a parish welcome center located at 2513 Hwy. 14 in New Iberia.

For more information on parish events and tourism assets, call the Iberia Parish Convention and Visitors Bureau at 337-365-1540 or visit www.iberiatravel.com